I probably spend way too much time on the Internet. I often find myself savings links and articles to Pocket with the intent on reading it and sharing it later. So since I’m in the habit of getting things done and not creating a queue or tasks all 2018, I’ve decided to begin sharing all that I find here within this space. Plus, I’ll be headed to Boston for the weekend for the first time so hopefully, it’d aid in preventing things from getting a bit too quiet around here.

Black Panther is Everything We’ve Ever Needed

Who else saw all that #BlackGirlMagic and #BlackBoyJoy at the Hollywood Premiere of Black Panther? In case you missed all those beautiful moments, I’ve got you covered. If you want to see more of this, you can go to the source here and here. I’ve personally been waiting for this film since last year and I cannot WAIT to see it in theaters with my family in the next few weeks. Have you all purchased your tickets?

The Grammys

I don’t typically watch award shows because they’re long and drawn out in my opinion. I’m easily bored with the structure, so I typically just tune in to the pre-festivities. The Roc Nation Brunch had me glued to every platform that revealed photos of all that #BlackExcellence in one room. (I’m not sure which couple I loved most — Jay Z and Beyonce or Cassie and Diddy.)

I did decide to watch the Grammys this year and I was instantly reminded of the reason that I don’t. But wasn’t Childish Gambino’s performance everything and more?

Just When We Thought We Had It All Figured Out

If you’re guessing that they’ve changed their algorithm once again, you’ll be absolutely correct. Foolishly, I got my hopes up and immediately thought that my feed would be back in chronological order. But that would have been too much like easy.

When Blogging Was An Art

I’ve been a blogger for almost 20 years. I started when I was about 12 or 13 years old and I had taught myself HTML, web and graphic design, photoshop and then I was introduced to the blog world. I was around during the Greymatter days which is the dinosaur that existed before the fancy Content Management Systems that we have today like WordPress. Blogging styles were different then — it was embodied the art of storytelling. And for some of us, it was therapeutic.

But somewhere in between then and now, there was a major shift and blogging seems to be a dying art. Yetti spoke heavily about this a year ago and conveyed every single thought that I’ve had about this transformation. I have been able to find a few bloggers that still blog old-school style. I’ve even been lucky enough to come across individuals that have mastered the duality of being a story-telling blogger and an influencer.

That’s all I have for now. Let me know what you’ve found around the web that you’ve found interesting in the comments below. Because I totally need another reason to stay up past my bedtime and regret it in the morning. Anyway, I’ll see you guys next week!

My son and I have been planning to see Black Panther together since last year. Not easy thing since he lives in Missouri and I live in Georgia. He called the other day to tell me that he’s going to drive in. My heart is all happy. And, yes, it’s that serious. He and I try to hit up a must see movie together at least once a year. That’s our thing. Mom and son nerds. LOL
I don’t watch the awards shows because I think celebrities are way too self congratulatory. I wish “real” people would get recognized — teachers, coders, librarians, doctors, first responders, etc. I’m being petty. I know. But…
I miss the old school blogging too. I remember when I started, it was a bunch of us just sharing our lives, getting and giving advice, and just letting each other know we’re not alone. Now it feels like everything is just one big commercial. I love that you share your hopes, dreams, and frustrations. Like I said, I feel like I’ve watched you and your babies grow up. And I couldn’t be prouder.
Kid you not, my friends and I were just talking about creepy kids on Facebook and sharing the *back slowly away from your kid* stuff that our kids have either done or said. Kids are weird. There’s no getting around it.
Have a great weekend. And love the shares….

That is so adorable that you and your son have that tradition. I remember right after I had my son that my mom told me that it was important that I have something special and unique with each of my kids but separately. I have a feeling that my son and I are going to have a similar tradition where we’re checking out all the cool nerdy movies and fan events as well.

I think that’s what I love most about blogging — I’ve share so much of my life and made such genuine connections with people. “Real blogging” also allows me to look back on my life and measure my growth too. And I thank you forbeing a part of the journey. :)

I don’t typically watch the awards shows either, because like you said, I find them to be long and drawn out. I did, however, catch the now gif of Ms Blue Ivy, shooshing her parents as they clapped for someone and the photo of Beyonce looking like every mama, holding a juice and snacks. LOL. I’ll have to check YT for Childish Gambino’s performance, as he’s most certainly growing on me as an all around artist.

I love Instagram, but I am sick of Instagram. I just want things to be “normal” again. I feel the same way about blogging. Do you have any suggestions for bloggers who do well as both influencers and story-tellers?

I’m actually working on a blog post that’ll include a slew of bloggers that got it right. LOL! But if you want me to send you my RSS subscription OPML file, I’ll email it to you and you can import it into your reader.

But that’s why we’re still here. To be the hope in between the weeds lol. No, but seriously, I’m starting to see a few folks pop up with what we grew up on in terms of blogging and story-telling. But it kind of feels like a trend? So I’m not sure whether this will be a good thing or a bad thing lol. And of course, thank you for sharing my post :)

I agree. It does seem like it could be a trend because I STRONGLY remember when blogging was frowned upon. Those that didn’t blogged always questioned the reason WHY the bloggers blog. They couldn’t fathom why old-school bloggers wanted to share their lives with complete strangers all over the world. I do believe that authentic blogging will make a come back, at least I hope so. I’d like to believe that Instagram’s new algorithm may help with that.